Terrestrial Energy signs services contract with EU Joint Research Centre

19 March 2018


Canada’s Terrestrial Energy has entered into a contract for technical services with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Karlsruhe, Germany as part of Terrestrial Energy’s validation and verification programme for the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) design now underway.

JRC will perform confirmatory studies of the IMSR  fuel and primary coolant salt-mixture. The facility will undertake the tests under conditions compliant with quality assurance protocols of nuclear codes and standards, as is required to advance a nuclear power plant design through the regulatory process.

Molten salt reactors use fuel dissolved in a molten fluoride or chloride salt which functions as both the reactor's fuel and its coolant, which removes the risk of a loss of coolant leading to a meltdown. Terrestrial Energy's IMSR integrates the primary reactor components, including heat exchangers, to a secondary clean salt circuit, in a sealed and replaceable vessel. The reactor is modular for factory fabrication and could be used for electricity production and industrial process heat generation.

Terrestrial Energy, which develops advanced reactor power plants that use its proprietary IMS technology, says the technology “represents true innovation in cost reduction, versatility and functionality”. It says that IMSR power plants will provide clean, convenient, dispatchable and cost-competitive heat for many industrial applications, including electric power provision and heat for industrial processes, such as chemical synthesis and desalination. “Using an innovative design, and proven and demonstrated molten salt reactor technology, Terrestrial Energy plans to bring IMSR® power plants to markets in the 2020s,” the company said.

JRC is a Directorate-General of the European Commission and is spread across six sites in five different countries within the European Union (EU), including Karlsruhe. The JRC employs over 3000 people, from EU countries and candidate countries to EU membership, who bring their skills, talents, passion and rigour into the scientific activities meant to underpin EU policies. It is funded by the Euratom Research and Training Programme for its nuclear work, with a budget of approximately €330m a year for direct support to EU institutions through scientific and technical advice to policy.

In November 2017, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) completed the initial phase of a vendor design review of Terrestrial's 400MWt IMSR, known as IMSR400. The design was the first advanced reactor to finish the first of three stages of the CNSC's regulatory pre-licensing review. Phase 1 of the review determines whether the vendor is demonstrating intent to be compliant with CNSC requirements in its design processes and outcomes.

In June 2017, Terrestrial began a feasibility study for the siting of the first commercial IMSR at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' Chalk River site. It also intends to submit an application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a design certification or construction permit in late 2019.



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